Why it’s ‘kinda chic’ to look average while quietly building wealth. Here are 6 tips to get you there

Kinda chic to drive your paid-off car while your neighbours lease shiny new SUVs.

Kinda chic to wear the same dress to three weddings.

Kinda chic to take the vacation you can comfortably afford instead of the one that photographs best.

And perhaps the chicest financial move of all? Quietly building wealth while looking decidedly average.

The online viral ‘kinda chic to …’ trend celebrates choices that aren’t necessarily flashy, trendy or expected. From a financial well-being perspective, I’m here for it because spending based on what everyone else is doing can be enormously expensive.

Canadian household credit-market debt has climbed to roughly $1.80 for every dollar of disposable income, according to Statistics Canada. Looking wealthy and actually building wealth are two very different things.

Keeping up with the Joneses isn’t new. What’s changed is that the Joneses now live on our phones, showing us their renovated kitchens, European vacations and new cars all day long.

Breaking that social media FOMO cycle requires financial confidence. Here’s how to get yours back.

Kinda chic to admit something isn’t in your budget

Being able to charge something to a credit card doesn’t mean you can afford it. Neither does having enough money in your chequing account.

You can afford something when buying it won’t create debt, compromise your savings or sacrifice something you value more.

Instead of “I can’t afford that,” try: “That’s not in my budget right now.” No apology or explanation required. It’s a financial boundary.

Kinda chic to figure out whose approval you’re buying

Before your next discretionary purchase, ask: Would I still want this if nobody else ever saw it?

Apply it to the new car, handbag, renovation, vacation or restaurant you’re dying to post from. If the answer changes when nobody is watching, wait 48 hours.

Wanting to belong is human. But there’s a difference between buying something because it brings you joy and buying it because you want it to impress someone else.

Kinda chic to let everyone else upgrade first

Your neighbour renovated their kitchen. Your colleague bought a new car. Your friend upgraded their phone. None of these events require you to do anything.

Lifestyle inflation sneaks in when someone else’s upgrade suddenly makes your perfectly functional belongings feel inadequate.

Wait 30 days, then ask: Do I still want it? Can I comfortably afford it? What’s actually wrong with the one I already have?

Kinda chic to decide what you happily spend more on

Rejecting comparison doesn’t mean becoming cheap. Maybe you happily drive a 10-year-old car because you’d rather travel. Perhaps you wear inexpensive clothing but love great restaurants.

That’s intentional spending.

Pick three things that genuinely improve your life and spend generously on them. Then identify three categories you don’t care about and stop upgrading them for other people’s benefit.

Kinda chic to let your kids be the only ones without it

When “everyone” at school has the shoes, phone or jacket your child wants, saying no can feel like deprivation. It’s not.

You’re teaching them that another family’s spending doesn’t determine yours. Try: “That’s not something we’re choosing to spend our money on right now.” That’s financial confidence they’ll eventually need as adults.

Kinda chic to get richer without looking richer

One of the most dangerous times for keeping up with the Joneses is when your income rises. You get the promotion and suddenly the car needs upgrading, the house feels too small and vacations get more expensive.

Before long, your raise is gone, but your lifestyle is permanently more expensive. Statistics Canada reported household spending grew faster than disposable income in the first quarter of 2026, a timely reminder of how easily spending can outrun income.

The next time your income increases, automatically redirect at least half of the increase toward investing, debt repayment or another important financial goal.

Nobody on Instagram will notice. Your future self certainly will.

Social media is exceptionally good at telling us what we’re supposed to want. The clothes change. The restaurants change. The vacations change. Even the definition of “chic” changes.

Financial confidence is deciding that your priorities don’t have to.

Kinda chic to build a life you can actually afford and stop caring whether anyone else is impressed by it.

This article was originally published in The Star. Lesley-Anne Scorgie is a Toronto-based personal finance columnist and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star.